Spectacularly Beautiful: A Refugee’s Story
Written by Lisa Lucas
Illustrated by Laurie Stein
Published by POW! Kids Books
A young refugee living in America learns to see herself as beautiful, in spite of physical and emotional scars from her troubled homeland, thanks to a gifted teacher.
Spectacularly Beautiful tells the story of Shahad, a refugee who has moved to a new country and started at a new school with her new teacher, Ms. Truong. Shahad comes to school every day with perfectly braided hair tied in ribbons. But her hair can’t hide the scars on her face and leg that are painful reminders of the country she fled, making her feel less than beautiful, and different from her peers. When a class project proves difficult for Shahad, Ms. Truong helps her come to see that her scars are only part of her story, and that she is not just beautiful…she is spectacularly beautiful. Little by little Shahad’s confidence is renewed and she is able to return the same kindness to Ms. Truong.
Primary ISBN: 9781576878910
Publication Date: December 2018
Available As: Hardcover
Picture Book, Age 03 or older
Community Represented: Unspecified (Middle Eastern)
Themes: Accolades & Awards, Accolades & Awards: Starred Review, Identity: Body Image, Refugee: War/Conflict, Trauma & Healing, Trauma & Healing: Physical Assault, Welcoming by Individual, Welcoming by School
Setting: United States
Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: Refugee
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